2nd Lieutenant Frank Douglas (or Douglas Frank) Aitken )Aitkin not on CWGC

[jonbowen]

I'm looking for some guidance. I have in my possession the Memorial Plaque for the above soldier and Certificate of Gallant Conduct form an action at Teall Cot on March 3rd 1918. having been taken prisoner later in 1918 2nd Lieutenant Aitken was repatriated at the end of the war arriving back in the UK on Dec 7th. He went to live in Mitcham Surrey and passed on Feb 2nd 1921. Despite trying variations of surname I can find no record of 2nd Lieutenant Aitken on the CWGC site. As his death falls within their recording period I was wondering if anyone would know why not remembered?

 

Thanks for any help  

[George Rayner]

Could this be him?

George

[George Rayner]

Perhaps he died with the cause not being attributable to service-therefore no commemoration. I do not know if this is a reasonable theory or not.

George

Medal Index card confirms same man as you name

George

Edited 8 May , 2022 by George Rayner

[Matlock1418]

18 minutes ago, George Rayner said:

Perhaps he died with the cause not being attributable to service-therefore no commemoration. I do not know if this is a reasonable theory or not.

It's always a reasonable hypothesis that should be explored in such situations.

M

[Acknown]

I think so as well. As I suspect jonbowen already knows, 5th Middlesex was a reserve battalion based in Chatham. MIC states that he served with 2nd Battalion which its War Diary confirms. The WD reports that he went missing on 27 Jul 18 in the Line west of VILLERS BRETONNEUX. 

IWM tells us: 'Deaths in the period 1919–1921 (possibly later) could still lead to the presentation of a plaque, if either still in service (and even from natural causes), or the death was accepted as war-related.' It seems, to this layman, that he could not have received a Memorial Plaque if his death had not been attributable to service.

Acknown

[Matlock1418]

There is a card for a claim for an Officer's Widow's pension at WFA/Fold3 for 2nd Lt Frank Douglas AITKEN, Middlesex Regiment [on a card with a 7/38 printer's batch mark] - no date of death mentioned.  Widow - Maud AITKEN.

CWGC won't accept this, on its own, as evidence for commemoration.

You probably need to look at his Officer's Papers and a Death Certificate too.

Edit: He was commissioned 1917 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30333/supplement/10560  The undermentioned cadets to be temp. 2nd Lts. (attd.). • 26 Sept. 1917 : — ... Midd'x R. — Frank Douglas Aitken.

Is there any evidence that might show he served post-war? [might explain why I can't see his Officer's Papers at TNA at the present = Possibly still retained by/with the MoD??]and perhaps still serving at death ??? Edit: Officers Papers currently indexed as AITKIN https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1163952   For what it costs [£7 for a PDF] I'd probably be getting a DC from GRO first, this looks like him:

AITKEN, FRANK  DOUGLAS  29  

GRO Reference: 1921  M Quarter in CROYDON  Volume 02A  Page 366

as cheaper than officer's papers.

M

Edited 10 April , 2023 by Matlock1418
Edit

[jonbowen]

Thanks all, the medal card shows date of death as 02/02/21 and this is confirmed in the probate notification as per the below. He is entitled to a wound stripe from action in 1916 and has a certificate of gallantry for action at Teall Cot on March 3rd 1918 (also in the war diary.

 

I've just not come across a recipient of the memorial plaque that isn't on CWGC

[jonbowen]

3 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

There is a card for a claim for an Officer's Widow's pension at WFA/Fold3 for 2nd Lt Frank Douglas AITKEN, Middlesex Regiment [on a card with a 7/38 printer's batch mark] - no date of death mentioned.  Widow - Maud AITKEN.

CWGC won't accept this, on its own, as evidence for commemoration.

You probably need to look at his Officer's Papers and a Death Certificate too.

Edit: He was commissioned 1917 https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30333/supplement/10560  The undermentioned cadets to be temp. 2nd Lts. (attd.). • 26 Sept. 1917 : — ... Midd'x R. — Frank Douglas Aitken.

Is there any evidence that might show he served post-war? [might explain why I can't see his Officer's Papers at TNA at the present = Possibly still retained by/with the MoD??] and perhaps still serving at death ???  For what it costs [£7 for a PDF] I'd probably be getting a DC from GRO first, this looks like him:

AITKEN, FRANK  DOUGLAS  29  

GRO Reference: 1921  M Quarter in CROYDON  Volume 02A  Page 366

as cheaper than officer's papers.

M

Thanks Matlock1418 - have ordered the certificate and hopefully will get him registered on CWGC if he qualifies - next challenge find out where he is buried.

[jonbowen]

3 hours ago, George Rayner said:

Could this be him?

George

Thanks George, yes that's him. I've tracked the details of his transfer and some other details. Have now requested the death certificate so see what that reveals. Thanks again.

 

[Matlock1418]

30 minutes ago, jonbowen said:

Thanks Matlock1418 - have ordered the certificate

Do please let us know what it records as cause of death.

M

[jonbowen]

On 08/05/2022 at 20:41, Matlock1418 said:

Do please let us know what it records as cause of death.

M

Hi Matlock1418 he died from acute intestinal obstruction and acute peritonitis as per the attached So as not related to service and he was no longer serving, hence not remembered on CWGC I guess.

COL076285_2022-1-Frank_Douglas_Aitken.pdf

[Matlock1418]

14 minutes ago, jonbowen said:

he died from acute intestinal obstruction and acute peritonitis as per the attached So as not related to service and he was no longer serving, hence not remembered on CWGC I guess.

Thanks for the update.  Unfortunately I couldn't get the attachment to open however if as you have indicated and no other evidence forthcoming of his death being war-related ... Seems a pretty likely reason why I/CWGC don't commemorate him. 

Though, as you have commented before, it does seem a bit unusual for there to be a Memorial Plaque - of course those came from a source other than CWGC so perhaps different levels of proof required and/or more evidence available to them back then.  ???

M

[jonbowen]

Struggling to get an order in as just getting ‘we have reached out limit for the day’. Will try again early tomorrow 

[jonbowen]

10 hours ago, Matlock1418 said:

Thanks for the update.  Unfortunately I couldn't get the attachment to open however if as you have indicated and no other evidence forthcoming of his death being war-related ... Seems a pretty likely reason why I/CWGC don't commemorate him. 

Though, as you have commented before, it does seem a bit unusual for there to be a Memorial Plaque - of course those came from a source other than CWGC so perhaps different levels of proof required and/or more evidence available to them back then.  ???

M

Try this one 

Frank_Douglas_Aitken- death cert.pdf

[Matlock1418]

2 minutes ago, jonbowen said:

Try this one 

Thanks - That DC opened fine.

Still a puzzle.

M

[Matlock1418]

On 14/05/2022 at 23:11, ALAN MCMAHON said:

Agreed.    But the officer file looks to be the way forward.

1)  The death certificate lists him as "army pensioner"-  so he must have been getting a pension for something.

2)  His MIC  lists him as an exonerated officer, as per interview after return. No trace of the interview report at TNA

3) BWV medals seem to have been the subject of something official  AFTER his death-  so it looks like 1922 is the key.  The ref on his MIC is:

Certainly that file could be interesting but a trip to Kew by someone will be required

Army pensioner = the pension cards at WFA/Fold3 only seem to have his widow's claim - as AITKEN

Exonerated officer = Exoneration was a necessity for an ex-PoW officer in order to get their medals

BWM & VM} = The IV at the start of that next reference indicates an Issue Voucher 12/10/22 [the MIC doesn't show them being returned nor does the Medal Roll which has the same IV reference]

NW/1/9235 = a Medal Office Admin note rather than another medal roll - he was only due a 'pair' based on that ToW date in 1916

M

Edit: MIC image seems to have gone walkabout

As AITKEN

Image thanks to WFA/Fold3

Note: Medal Roll, above, as AITKIN

Edited 10 April , 2023 by Matlock1418
add MIC image

[jonbowen]

Just to provide an interim update. I have finally received the file from the NA, 64 pages in total. Still more to sign through however it looks as if his cause of death is related to a wound received either in 1917 or when captured. He also didn't resign his commission and was in receipt of an army pension.

Will do more digging and update shortly. Thanks again all for your help on this one.

[PaulC78]

Just wondering how this turned out. Any updates?

DeceasedOnline have a burial for Frank Aitken at Merton on 9 Feb 1921, presumably this is your man:

https://www.deceasedonline.com/servlet/GSDOSearch?DetsView=Summary&src=ext&fileid=865347

[jonbowen]

Hi PaulC78,

 

I had heard nothing further from CWGC up to Christmas so had sent them an email between Christmas and New Year.

 

Separately I recently purchased a pair to a Frederick Sutton 3rd Grenadier Guards, born in Scarsbrick, brought up in Church Town

 

[PaulC78]

1 minute ago, jonbowen said:

Separately I recently purchased a pair to a Frederick Sutton 3rd Grenadier Guards, born in Scarsbrick, brought up in Church Town

Interesting! Do you have the service number, I'm not familiar with this man.

[jonbowen]

some details on the attached... he survived the war and went to live / work in Bury / Radcliffe area... do you have access to Deceased on-line to access the Aitken info by any chance?

 

Sutton_Frederick Summary copy.pdf

[PaulC78]

42 minutes ago, jonbowen said:

some details on the attached... he survived the war and went to live / work in Bury / Radcliffe area...

Thanks for that, I'll take a look.

42 minutes ago, jonbowen said:

do you have access to Deceased on-line to access the Aitken info by any chance?

Unfortunately not, I don't tend to use that site enough to justify buying any credits.

[Matlock1418]

1 hour ago, jonbowen said:

I had heard nothing further from CWGC up to Christmas so had sent them an email between Christmas and New Year.

I think unfortunately you may have to wait a while longer [as per the common recent experience for many cases ]

Feel sure you will let us know their reply/response/the outcome. 

M

[jonbowen]

15 minutes ago, Matlock1418 said:

I think unfortunately you may have to wait a while longer [as per the common recent experience for many cases ]

Feel sure you will let us know their reply/response/the outcome. 

M

Will do, not intending to let this one go 

[jonbowen]

reply receive this morning, still in the queue

 

I can confirm that your Non-Commemoration case submission (NC 11712) is still awaiting review. Hopefully it will be processed soon, then it will be sent to the relevant military service authorities for formal adjudication. We will be in touch again once a decision has been made.